Warhead structural and locating attachment



Jan..- 29, 1957 z. M. RAFFEL 2,779,282

WARHEAD STRUCTURAL AND LOCATING ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ZA/VV/LLE M. RAFFEL ATTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1957 2. M. RAFFEL WARHEAD STRUCTURAL AND LOCATING ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1954 FIG. 4

. INVENTOR ZA/VV/LLE M. RAFFEL ATTORNEYS BY Kama/g (QC? WW United StatesPatent Q WARHEAD STRUCTURAL AND LOCATING ATTACHMENT Zanville M. Raifel, Rockville, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application October 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,766

3 Claims. (Cl. 102-49) This invention relates generally to means for securing bodies together, and more particularly to an arrangement for attaching a warhead section to other sections of an aerial missile.

In at least one general type of ramjet missile, the warhead is in the form of a truncated cone that is hollow to accommodate a portion of the ramjet diffuser. To facilitate the assembly of the missile, the truncated cone is split along its longitudinal axis to provide two sections which can be fitted around the diffuser and fastened into place between bulkheads on the forward and aft sections of the missile. The two major requirements imposed on the means for attaching the warhead to the other portions of the missile are that the attachment can be made quickly and easily, and that the attaching means be structurally capable of withstanding the loads imposed.

Accordingly, this invention has for its object the provision of means for attaching a warhead of other portions of an aerial missile.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of means for attaching a warhead to the other sections of a missile, with such means being capable of withstanding the loads imposed and by which the attachment of the warhead can be quickly accomplished without the use of tools.

These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a partial exploded perspective view of an aerial missile;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken along 44 of Fig. 1.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for attaching a Warhead section to the other sections of the aerial missile. These means include cleat members which are carried by the warhead sections, together with other cleat members carried by at least one other section of the missile. The cleat members of the warhead section are adapted to be moved into mating relationship with the cleat members on the other section of the missile. Additional means are provided for holding the cleat members in mating relationship.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the warhead section is indicated generally by the reference numeral 8, and is shown in the form of a hollow truncated cone that is split into sections 9 and 10 which fit around the inner missile wall 11. The missile sections forward and aft of the warhead section 8 are indicated by the reference numerals 12 and 14, respectively.

In Fig. 2, the forward missile section 12 is shown somewhat diagrammatically as having a bulkhead comprising a flange 15 joined to the inner missile shell 11 and the outer shell 22.

A similar flange 18 is provided on section 14 of the missile, as seen in Fig. 1. A plurality of tapered female 2,779,282 Patented Jan. 29, 1957 cleat members 24 are welded to both bulkhead flanges 15 and 18. As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 3, corresponding tapered male cleat members 26 are provided on the end Walls 28 of each of the warhead sections 9 and 10.

The male cleat members 26 and the female cleat members 24 are correspondingly tapered both in the direction of their width and in the direction of their length so that they can be mated in the manner best shown in Fig. 3. Because of the construction of the warhead in two halves 9 and 10, the female cleat members 24 and the male cleat members 26 can he slid into mating relationship thereby forming a mortise and tenon type of joint between the warhead section 8 and the missile sections 12 and 14.

A number of fasteners 30 are provided along the line of cleavage of the warhead 8 to retain the sections 9 and 10 in place. The fasteners 30 are positioned in recesses 32 formed in the outer warhead shell 22. Each fastener 30 includes a latch member 34 that is pivotally mounted by a pintle 36 carried on the warhead shell 22. The latch member 34 has an aperature 38 provided therein so that it can be hooked over a pin 40 also carried in the recess 32.

The latch member 34 is retained in hooked position by means of a split snap ring 44 which is carried in .a groove 42 provided on the pin 40. After the latching member 34 is pivoted to its hooked position, the snap ring 44 springs partially into the groove 46 provided in the wall of aperture 38 on the latching member 34.

It is obvious from the above description that the warhead sections 9 and 10 can be quickly and easily attached to the other missile sections 12 and 14 without the use of tools. In addition, the design and arrangement of the cleats 24 and 26 is such that they will withstand the torsion, bending and vertical shear loads imposed by missile launching and flight.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a missile having a plurality of sections including a warhead divided into a number of longitudinal portions and at least one other section having a portion protruding therefrom about which the longitudinal portions of said warhead are positioned, means for attaching the warhead portions to the other missile section including cleat members carried by said warhead portions, other cleat members carried by the other missile section, the cleat members on said warhead portions being adapted to be moved into mating relationship with the cleat members on the other missile section, and fastening means for holding said warhead portions together so that said cleat members remain in mating relationship.

2. In combination with a missile having a plurality of spaced sections with a warhead located therebetween, said warhead being split along its principal axis into longitudinal portions to facilitate the positioning thereof between said spaced sections, means for attaching the warhead portions to the spaced missile sections including spaced cleat members carried by said missile sections, corresponding mating cleat members carried by said warhead portions and adapted to be moved into mating relationship with the first mentioned cleat members on the missile sections when said warhead is assembled to said missile, and means for holding said cleat members in mating relationship.

3. In combination with a missile having at least two spaced sections with a warhead located therebetween, said warhead being split along its principal axis into semicircular portions to facilitate the positioning of said semi- 2,729,282 3 4 spaced missile sections including spaced cleat members References Cited in the file of this patent carried by said warhead portions, other leat members UNITED STATES PATENTS carried by said missile sections, the cleat members on the Warhead portions being adapted ,to betmovedintonmatin g 1296333 shonnard 1919 relationship with the cleat members onusaid missile :see- 5 tions, and fastening means carried by said warhead ,por-

PATENTS tions for clamping said warhead portions together to hold 2 Great Bl'ltalll 1924 said cleat members in mating relationship. 7521129 France y :10, 1933 

